Navy ships form first line of missile defense

In this March 16, 2013 photo released by U.S. Navy, Sonar Technician (Surface) 1st Class Andrew Murphy, foreground, works with South Korean Navy line officers in the sonar control room of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell during an anti-submarine warfare exercise as part of exercise Foal Eagle 2013 in the West Sea, South Korea. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Declan Barnes)
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In this March 16, 2013 photo released by U.S. Navy, Sonar Technician (Surface) 1st Class Andrew Murphy, foreground, works with South Korean Navy line officers in the sonar control room of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell during an anti-submarine warfare exercise as part of exercise Foal Eagle 2013 in the West Sea, South Korea. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Declan Barnes)
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In this March 17, 2013 photo released by U.S. Navy, U.S. and South Korea Navy line officers work together in the combat operations center of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain during exercise Foal Eagle 2013 in the West Sea, South Korea. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Declan Barnes)— AP

In this March 17, 2013 photo released by U.S. Navy, U.S. and South Korea Navy line officers work together in the combat operations center of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain during exercise Foal Eagle 2013 in the West Sea, South Korea. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Declan Barnes)
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In this March 17, 2013 photo released by the U.S. Navy, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain, foreground, the Republic of Korea Navy Aegis-class destroyer ROKS Seoae-Yu-Seong-Ryong, center, and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell move into formation during exercise Foal Eagle 2013 in the West Sea in South Korea. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Declan Barnes)
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NORFOLK, Va. 
In the operations center on board the USS Stethem, sailors keep watch on a dizzying array of maps, graphics, sensors and radar data - all focused on North Korea.

The Stethem, a destroyer, is one of two warships in the western Pacific that are responsible for detecting, tracking and, if necessary, shooting down a ballistic missile launched by Pyongyang. And they represent the first line of defense for U.S. allies and territories in a region that has become increasingly nervous as North Korea has ratcheted up its rhetoric and threats in recent months.

Thousands of miles away, two more of the ballistic missile defense ships are in the eastern Mediterranean Sea monitoring the threat from Iran while giving the Obama administration the ability to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles at potential targets in Syria, if officials call for military action.

As the missile threats from Iran and North Korea have advanced in recent years, the U.S. has become more invested in Navy cruisers and destroyers that carry the high-tech Aegis radar system and dozens of missile interceptors.

As a result, the ballistic missile defense destroyers and cruisers are a growing capability that is in hot demand from military commanders across the Middle East, Europe and the Pacific.

"They give the capability to the combatant commanders that allows them to position (the ships) where there's a need, and we feel they're a pretty good investment," said Adm. Bill Gortney, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces in Norfolk. Unlike other missile defense systems, he said the ships are "able to sail to where the crisis is."

Anthony Cordesman, a national security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said the ships provide a layered defense that can quickly provide warning and details of a missile launch in areas of the world where there may be only a limited time to mount a response. And they present an added complication and deterrent for an adversary such as North Korea or Iran that may be trying to target a nearby U.S. ally - such as South Korea or Israel.

At the same time, however, he said the missile defense ships with their constantly improving sensors, radars and missiles have become a critical yet costly weapon.

"This is going to be an evolving technology duel," Cordesman said. "We will see steadily better missiles, warheads and countermeasures, and that means that ships will have to be upgraded." But he added that those things are considerably easier to upgrade than the military's pricey aircraft.

Still, the increasing requirements for the ships also exact another toll on the already strained naval forces. Commanders are routinely forced to extend the ships' deployments, keeping sailors at sea for longer periods and shrinking their time at home.

The USS Stout, which is pierside at the Norfolk Naval Station, returned from its deployment to the Persian Gulf region in June 2011, and its crew is now preparing to go back out this summer. While most Navy cruisers and destroyers deploy for about 6-1/2 months, and then spend more than three years at home, the missile defense warships are spending up to 7-1/2 months deployed and get a bit more than two years at home between tours.